This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hello Guys, Love the show so much great information. I have recently got into scroll sawing. I am a comic book fan and I want to start scrolling the comic book art that I love. As you may know comic book art is very colorful. My goal is to start getting enough exotic wood to try and cover as much color as I can. In the mean time I would like to start using stain to color the woods. Are you all aware of any stains that have a good color spectrum. Thanks Korey from Independence KY

I am looking to build a shop building on my property. What is the minimum square footage you would recommend for a home hobbyist? I will have a miter saw, router table, table saw, and eventually a planer and dust collector. And of course a work bench with a saw vise. I have plenty of room on my property, so that isn't a limiting factor. My biggest concern is not spending money that I don't need to on a building that is larger than needed. What are some things you recommend that I plan for when building? Power outlet locations and qty, ceiling height, lighting type, etc.? Thanks in advance! Kyle

Guys Questions:

I know you guys have referenced putting shellac under water based finish so you can have the richer look in the wood but ease/quick timeline of water based. I typically use an airless sprayer to apply General Finishes High Performance. I have some projects with walnut that I would normally finish with Arm-R-Seal to get the rich walnut tone. Id like to try the shellac coat first and then High Performance on top. I was wondering what is your standard application practice when you do this. Do you apply shellac (by hand or spray) and then wait a few hours/a few days/a week? Thanks for the advice and looking to avoid any pitfalls in the process being that Ive never done it before. Thanks and keep up the good work on the podcast. Pete from Uncarved Block Woodworks, Madison, WI

Do you have any tips for glueing up mitered-corner boxes to ensure they are square/plumb, etc.? I've had a hard time with this. Thanks David Vespoint

Huys Questions:

My local Rockler shut down and I found myself purchasing the Dark Half Tung oil from the real milk paint company at a steep discount. Never used the stuff but I’ve heard that dark tung oil can help give cherry a patina look without aging. I’m wondering if it can help walnut preserve its dark color over time? Tung oil is supposed to be a pretty durable finish on it own. Have you guys tried using it as part of an arm r seal mix? Thanks again for the help! Jose

All of my furniture pieces seem to have glue creep on all the table tops and panels. I switched from using titebond pva to titebond hide glue thinking this would solve the problem. On some newer pieces I built with the hide glue, I can now slightly feel the glue seams after a few weeks. The tops all have biscuits for alignment as well. Could this be a matter of temperature and humidity change from my shop to my house? About 40% humidity in my shop through the use of a dehumidifier. Temperature ranged from in the 50s this past winter to now it's in the 80s. Would you sand the seam lightly with 0000 steel wool or very high grit sandpaper? And any tips for future builds to avoid this again? Thanks guys! Jeff

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions: Hey guys! Another quick question that I get from others in our field. And I'm interested in your input. What making basic shaker/frame and panel cabinet doors, I use the big box, larger ridged router with the FREUD T&G bit set. I'm tired of cutting the tongues and having blowouts..even when using a backer board when running the rail through the router. I've leaned in to using the BEADLOCK system from rockler. It's been great so far. Would you suggest that loose tenon joint, or stick to the TONGUE in the groove? For durability? Crafted Carpenter

What are some tool under $50 that you (or listeners) love. My examples: -The Rockler or Milecraft center marking tool -Temtop S1 Indoor Air Quality Monitor (cheap, accurate, see what’s actually happening in your shop instead of guessing) -Any router coping sled George

Guys Questions: Hi guys In two pervious shows you mentioned two things. One. You would give up your table saw in favor of a band saw. The question is what can you do on a table saw that you can not do on a band saw. The only thing I can figure is a Dado joint. Many thanks, Paul Mitchell Oki Mitch Crafts

Good day gentlemen Long time listener (3-4 years) and still feel your the best woodworking podcast. I build a variety of wood project from band saw boxes to use up scrap pieces to some furniture. I have a Domino DF 500 and use it often. You talk about a biscuit joiner being a different animal and used for different things. Can you give us examples where a biscuit joiner is the best choice? The examples may answer this question for me but do I need a biscuit joiner? Which brand(s) would you recommend? Thank You Dean

Huys Questions: Where do you purchase your shellac flakes? Do you use unwaxed? Thanks Mark Moeller

Hey guys. As always, appreciate the podcast and the information shared. I thought as a topic you might discuss what glues you keep on hand (types more than brands) as well as what specialty glues you’ll acquire for a specific project or technique. For example, I keep regular wood glue (partial to Gorilla Wood Glue) for most usage, but I always have liquid hide glue for any sliding joint, like dovetails or box joints. I keep 5 minute epoxy and CA glues, but use them less often (and often wish I hadn’t because they’re usually to fix a mistake). Thanks again. Peter

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hello guys, Love the podcast. Thank you for your time and expertise! Question on making drawer boxes and other situations where butt joinery is used. How much of a difference would it make if I do not use any glue and rely only on pocket screws / regular screws? Main reason I am asking about skipping glue is because I usually use 2 side prefinished plywood to make drawer boxes so unless I figure out how to remove the finish where the joints are, it will not really stick. Follow up question. What’s the rule of thumb on how to space pocket screws? Let’s say I have a drawer box that’s 12 inches high. How many pocket screws would I put on each butt joint? Max Greddie Woodworks

I’m building a very large display case for a museum, about 15 feet long and 4 feet high and 6 inches deep. Kind of like a giant shadow box. It will contain a canvas replica of the Shroud of Turin, with LED backlighting behind the shroud canvas and a ¼” glass front (2 sheets of glass with a seam in the middle). The back panel will be either 1/4" or 1/2" plywood. We will have legs under it to support the weight across the 15 foot length, as it will be very heavy once fully assembled on-site. Here’s my question; is it realistic to plane, cut, and sand a 15 foot long 6/4 board, about 6 inches wide? Am wondering if I could realistically handle such a board, and if so, would it remain flat and straight over time. Or, would I be better off making two 7-1/2 foot long boards and somehow joining them together to make one 15 foot long board. If two boards, what’s the best method for end-to-end joining of these boards to get a barely-visible joint and a perfectly straight assembly. Do I need to be concerned with sag in the middle if I have a plywood back panel? Mark

Guys Questions:

I have recently started using Arm-R-Seal and I am new to using finishes with long curing times. I have been prefinishing all my parts because I assume it's near impossible to get a nice finish after glue up. Is this correct? How long should I wait after applying the finish before glueing? Also, if the piece of furniture was for a customer, would you wait the full 30 days of cure time before delivery? Jeffrey Hughes

I teach a beginning woodworking class at a High School. I will be receiving two Bambu Lab X1 3D printers for one of the Engineering classes that I teach as well. I know that 3D printers can be very useful for woodworking and was wondering what ideas you would have to share for helpful tools or accessories that could be made using the 3D printer? Also do you have a specific website where you go to find premade tools and accessories that is trustworthy? Thanks in advance for any information that you could provide. Scott Kirkman

Huys Questions:

Hey it’s me again, I have a 10” Metabo contractor saw I use for my house projects and finer pieces. It’s a quick and dirty saw that I can set up and knock down and roll into the corner. I love the wide table of it but it’s starting to feel wobbly when making cuts. Thinking of building a box around it to have out all the time and catch dust and shavings. Maybe on wheels? I’m no contractor so maybe I should just invest in a cabinet saw… love to hear thoughts. Ian

Hello, I am getting ready to build a box beam to wrap an exposed LVL beam in the great room of our vacation home. It's a horizontal beam with about 2" protruding from a finished wall (drywall). The span is about 14', and the beam is about 4 1/2" tall. I will be using knotty pine to create a 3 sided box beam with mitereed corners. My challenge is that I cannot built and transport 14' beam, so I need to build 2 7' beams. Each end of the beam will butt against a wall, so there isn't much room. So my question for you all is what type of joinery would you use to seam the 2 beams together on-site? Thanks, and I appreciste what you all are doing for the woodworking community. John

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

As a hobbyist who buys wood occasionally, I have never developed the skill of correctly identifying the grain pattern or even the cut type (plain, rift, quarter) in rough cut lumber at lumber yards. It’s all fuzzy and impossible for me to discern. Any tips for a dumb dumb like me? American Bob

Hey guys! I started listening to your podcast a couple months ago, and began dabbling in woodworking only a couple months before that. I can't tell you how helpful your podcasts has been to me, as I don't really have anyone to show me the ropes. I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out via YouTube and Google, but a lot of use concepts are so new to me that I'm not sure what to search for. I don't know what I don't know. I have to admit that I have been cutting off sending in a question to you guys primarily because I'm listening to your podcast while I'm in my fledgling shop and I have a hard time putting down what I'm doing to get on my phone if I don't have to. Having said that, I'm sure that I can come up with enough questions to completely fill out half a dozen podcast episodes, so I'm finally answering the call. Thank you in advance for your answers and insights. I chose to serve with this question because it is an issue I run into constantly. To put it simply, I do not as of yet own jointer or a planer, and I can't afford one for the time being. I have been trying to make do with a number of workarounds, to varying degrees of success. For example, cleaning a board or panel with a belt sander, which is exactly as much fun as it sounds. My recently discovered work around for jointing boards is a jig I made for my table saw. It's essentially a fence I guess, with an outfeed and in feed side. The outfeed side is flush with my saw blade, while the infeed side is offset. The width of my saw blade. I can send you a picture if you are curious. My question is, for a person who absolutely cannot afford a jointer and planer right now, are there any other tricks you can think of to accomplish these essential woodworking processes? Thanks again for your help and all the great information you provide. Zach

Guys Questions:

Hello, this is Zach from Minnesota again. I have a question that has been bugging me for quite some time now. Ever since I learned about water-based polyurethane, it's almost exclusively what I have used to finish my projects. I almost always apply this with my Wagner or HVLP sprayer with a detail nozzle and it has worked great for me. There are a lot of topics in woodworking where people have opposing views. One practice, however, that seems to be universally supported, and strongly so, is sanding between codes of polyurethane. I very, very rarely follow this practice. For whatever reason, on one project I did not do this and it turned out fine, so I haven't really bothered since, and I haven't had any issues, even when I've applied polyurethane over paint. Why is sanding so strongly recommended, and what issues am I risking by skipping this step? Thanks again. Zach

Good morning Woodshop Life Podcast Folks! I am about to finish up my largest commissioned work, netting me a nice little profit. This isn’t my full time job, so any sort of money I make from woodworking I want to put back into the shop and continue to grow as a woodworker. I have the Dewalt DW735 Planer and a Grizzly 8” Jointer, both with straight knife cutter heads. If I could only do one for now, Which one should I upgrade first to a helical cutter head? I love listening to you all when I am in the shop, and have grown tremendously as a woodworker because of it! Keep up the great work! Nathan

Huys Questions:

I just built a router table with a lift. Was going to upgrade to a 3+ hp router as I have been told “the large bits need 3 or more hp”. Looking at the routers I can purchase they all come with 15 amp plugs. The 15 amp can only carry 2.4 hp max no matter what the hp of the motor is. Even if the plug / receptacle is 20 amp it still could not carry the watts/hp of 3 hp. Just wondering why I should spend the money to upgrade. Can you enlighten me?

Thanks and love the show. John-Michael

Do you have any tips for drilling the holes in legs to insert leg levelers? I have practiced a few times and I can't consistently get the holes straight. I have avoided using the leg levelers because of this. Thanks Jeff

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I really enjoy your podcast. The information you provide is very informative and helpful. I am beginning to build more furniture items and considering purchasing a Festool Domino tool for both strength and convenience. I am having a difficult time, as I'm sure many do, justifying the cost. My question is: is it that much better and/or stronger than bisquits, dowels, pocket hole screws, fixed tenon, etc., or is this just a "status symbol" tool? Your opinion will help immensely. I do already own their CT Midi dust collector and a couple of sanders. Rick

Gentlemen: I’m a long time listener and can’t thank you enough for all the info you have shared through this podcast. I am a hobbyist woodworker who is moderately successful with my projects the majority of the time. I am being requested to make keepsake/ jewelry boxes for my grandkids. I have not made small boxes before so my questions are: What species of wood should I consider to use. I have access to some exotics and have used numerous species on previous projects but are there specific species that would really help these boxes standout? Any species I should avoid? Should I use veneer and plywood or solid hardwood? I am comfortable using miters with splines or finger joints but this guy doesn’t do dovetails. What finish should I use. I can already hear Guy screaming shellac and amour seal. Anything else to consider like lacquer? Thanks again Liam Indianapolis

Guys Questions:

Hi gentleman. Thank you for all of your time sharing your experiences and helping to grow woodworking. You have saved me, and many others, countless board feet of mistakes I am have transitioned from carpentry and repairs, to fine woodworking, such as desks, and mechanical puzzle boxes. This involves a lot of very precise measurements and cuts. I have needed to cut exact angles to fit together, slide, and hide the seams. You have mentioned using a router bit to cut an exact 45 degree angle, but how do you cut an exact angle other than a 45, such as a 73.43 degree angle? Also, is there a specific finish that will help minimize wood swelling? While expansion is not always a concern with tables or chairs, for example, it is a real problem with mechanical puzzle boxes as the swelling can prevent the mechanical puzzle box from opening. Thanks for your help. George Allan

Hello Woodshop Life Crew, I have a 1-car garage woodshop and want to add dust collection. I'm considering the Grizzly G0861 - 2 HP Portable Cyclone Dust Collector. ttps://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-2-hp-portable-cyclone-dust-collector/g0861 My shop is 12' x 24' and my main tools are a tablesaw, a plainer, and a jointer. Do you think a 2 HP system is too big? Too small? This unit has a 7" intake port that splits into three 4" ports, 1023 CFM of airflow, and a 1-micron filter size. A dedicated 30A 220V circuit is at the ready. Given the small shop size, I would be ok with hooking up one tool at a time or adding ducting to all tools. In short, what size of system and ducting would you recommend for a small 1-car woodshop like mine? Thanks as always for the great podcast.- Adam

Huys Questions:

Thanks for the content yall have been bringing the woodworking community. I’m new to the podcast, but have found the few episodes I’ve listened to extremely helpful. I’m living in New Hampshire, and recently moved my shop into a large barn. I have a section for wood storage on the second floor. The barn is open and in an uncontrolled climate. As of right now, I have a lot of pine and white oak, but would like to expand my selection as more projects become available. Do you have any suggestions on how to better control humidity/temperature to allow for better moisture regulation? Also, I am looking to upgrade my planer. I’m trying to decide between a 13 inch Grizzly bench top planer (G0940) and a 13 inch Jet bench top planer (JWP-13BT). Please let me know your thoughts on these or suggestions on another option in that price range. Thanks! Caleb

Hi gentlemen. This is my second question. I'm still catching up on past episodes and am now in 2024. I have learned so much from each of you. On an earlier episode, you mentioned that if a drawer glue-up is not square, one option is to break it down before the glue sets and "fix it". My general question is, can you re-glue parts and still maintain their glue strength? If you remove any unset glue (assuming PVA) as much as possible, will the remaining glue embedded in the wood prevent a structurally sound joint? I'm assuming that no further milling is required to "fix" the joint. In other words, the glue-up didn't go as planned. Thanks for this great podcast. Anthony